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Drawing Primitive Vector ShapesChapter 4, you'll find out how Illustrator's Pathfinder functions make it easy to add or subtract parts of paths, but for now, we'll explore how to create these primitive shapes. Figure 2.9. By creating two circles and offsetting them, you can define the geometry you need to create a crescent shape. The Pathfinder palette, covered later in the book, makes it easy to create single shapes from multiple objects. Closed Path Shape ToolsThe closed path tools in Illustrator comprise the Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, and Star tools, and are all grouped together in the Toolbox (Figure 2.10 ). To create any of these shapes, choose the desired tool, click the artboard, and drag outward. While dragging the mouse, you can add commands to interactively adjust the shape. See Table 2.1 for a list of these interactive commands. Figure 2.10. The closed path shape tools are all grouped together with the Rectangle tool in the Toolbox. |
Open Path Shape Tools
The open path tools in Illustrator comprise the Line Segment, Arc, Spiral, Rectangular Grid, and Polar Grid tools, and they are all grouped together in the Toolbox (Figure 2.11 ). To create any of these shapes, choose the desired tool, click the artboard, and drag outward. While dragging the mouse, you can add commands to interactively adjust the shape. See Table 2.2 for a list of these interactive commands.
Figure 2.11. The open path shape tools are all grouped together with the Line tool in the Toolbox.
 | Even though they are grouped with the open path tools, the Rectangular Grid and the Polar Grid tools create a combination of both open and closed paths. |
Drawing by Numbers
For aspiring artists, you can buy a sheet of paper that uses numbers to indicate where colors are supposed to go, taking the guesswork out of the design process. Although being free to create is certainly a good thing, you don't want to be guessing when you've been asked to create a shape to an exact size. The methods of drawing that we've discussed to this point are purely for those in a creative state of mind. As you create each shape, your mind is saying, "Yeah, that's about right." However, there are times when you are required to specify exact dimensions for shapes, and Illustrator can be precise up to four decimal places.To create any shape numerically, select the tool you need, click once on the artboard, and immediately release the mouse. A dialog appears, letting you specify exact values for the shape or path you want to create (Figure 2.12 ). For most shapes, this action uses the point where you clicked the artboard as the upper left corner of the shape. To draw a shape out from its center point from the place that you click, press the Option (Alt) key while clicking with the mouse.
Figure 2.12. Clicking a blank area on the artboard with a shape tool allows you to specify numeric values and create a shape precisely.
